BS: John Walker. What to do?

Subject: RE: BS: John Walker. What to do?
From: Steve in Idaho
Date: 10 Dec 01 - 02:13 PM

Yes it is Kim C - and as a mercenary he also has no rights.

Misguided kid - give me a break

Steve

Subject: RE: BS: John Walker. What to do?
From: GUEST,Claymore
Date: 10 Dec 01 - 02:11 PM

Actually, as one who has participated in numerous special court martials, some generals and uncountable boards, while in the Corps, the really interesting question for me will be where they bring him ashore, if they do not decide he has effectively renounced his citizenship, and hand him back over to the Northern Alliance. Though I won't go into the doctrine of "Poorly caught, Well tried," (which some of the more vociferous would do well to understand), Federal jurisdiction will attach where Traitor John lands.

Most cases involving spying, etc. are tried at the Federal Courthouse in Alexandria, VA as that is where the DC airports are located. After several complicated cases were tried in front of Washington juries (which even the Washington Post, called "the most ignorant in the world") cases were routinely diverted to Alex.

You might recall that in the case of the last person to stain the White House, the prosecutor, Ken Starr, had one of the Lewinsky conversations taped in Northern VA so as to give him a predicate act to use in indicting Clinton in VA instead of DC where the population is black and Democratic. But here's the rub.

Suppose TJ is brought back to New York? It might be the only time that New Yorker's have to face their vaunted liberalism. And Bush can simply say "I put the question to those who suffered the most". If TJ gets off lightly, New York might suffer a second Ground Zero. If he gets the pointed stick, it will be the first time since their enacted but unused death penalty actually gets used.

If he's brought back to Alexandria, he'll be tried at a Court House that is six miles from the Pentagon, with a jury pool that is 60% military connected. And Virginia has the second highest death penalty rate in the nation.

I think the best bet would be to turn him over to the Northern Alliance. Since I understand that one of the penalties for traitors in "Ghan" is death of the traitors relatives, I can't imagine TJ's lawyer daddy getting in the way of a rather ad hoc tribal judicial system. But then again, it was the justice system that TJ wanted the world to have...

Subject: RE: BS: John Walker. What to do?
From: GUEST,AliUK on the works comp.
Date: 10 Dec 01 - 02:09 PM

Hmmm...waht a dilemma! Or is it? I mean the guy is not some fresh-faced sophomore. He made a conscious decision to take up arms with his brother Talebans(sic), it just so happens that he is of American-European descent.He is a prisoner of war and should be treated as such, just as the allied troops would be if they were captured by the Taleban. How many Allied soldiers are of Arabic descent? The guy is a religious mercenary, instead of fighting for money he is fighting for something that binds much tighter, religious ideology.

Subject: RE: BS: John Walker. What to do?
From: Gary T
Date: 10 Dec 01 - 01:59 PM

There are bad decisions, and then there are bad decisions. Even a "kid" should know that taking up arms against your homeland is quite serious.

What bothers me the most about this fellow is his admiration for the Taliban's "pure Islamic" governing. Surely he knew how atrociously his cohorts--and possibly he--treated various people. For someone to accept--nay, endorse--that, I find despicable. I feel no sympathy for him.

Subject: RE: BS: John Walker. What to do?
From: Kim C
Date: 10 Dec 01 - 01:55 PM

Back in the old days they called it treason and punishment was relatively swift. Ask Benedict Arnold if you don't believe me.

Subject: RE: BS: John Walker. What to do?
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 10 Dec 01 - 12:06 PM

Being the political junkie I am, I've also been reading all I can about this case. What may even be more fascinating, is that apparently there are two more "Americans" caught fighting with the Taliban. I don't know, but I suspect the other two are probably of Arabic descent. Will they be treated in the same way as Walker?

Already the idealogues from both sides of the issue are stating their case...."string him up",.....or "make him a poster boy for troubled kids of today".

I swear, if he gets a Press Agent..watch out!

Rick

Subject: RE: BS: John Walker. What to do?
From: Rolfyboy6
Date: 10 Dec 01 - 12:16 AM

I suspect that this will be a real show with all the worst of human behavior and self-righteous attitudes on display. Watch the scapegoatism develop. If the Bushites have political difficulties they will try to burn the kid. The war is ending too fast for them and they may well be frightened of the scenario that happened to George Bush Senior--win the war too long before the next election, have a recession, and lose the election. Lets hope that some way will be found for the kid not to become a political football. Damn Kids.

Subject: RE: BS: John Walker. What to do?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 10 Dec 01 - 12:14 AM

Hi, Marty - I was wondering how much would come up, so I searched for "John Walker" afghanistan at www.google.com (click and see). There's quite a lot on the Internet that's already been indexed.
Confusing story, isn't it?
-Joe Offer-

Subject: John Walker. What to do?
From: marty D
Date: 10 Dec 01 - 12:02 AM

I've been trying to get more information on the John Walker situation, but it seems the Government is really embarrassed by this turn of events. I can't blame them. I've seen the clip where the CIA are trying to get him to talk but he appears to be a hard line fundamentalist and I suspect he's willing to die for Islam. Where do they go from here? Once they clean him up, maybe his lawyers will try to get him to renounce his beliefs, or say he was 'brainwashed'. Some of his friends even site his young age as a reason to go easy on him, but considering the average age of the other Taliban fighters I don't think that will wash. His father implies that he's just a misguided kid (naturally) who made a bad decision. I think this is going to be very devisive, and at a bad time too. Any thoughts?

marty